Trump and Hegseth Address About 800 Top Generals at Quantico, Vowing to Restore the Warrior Ethos
On September 30, 2025, President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed about 800 of America's top generals, admirals and senior enlisted leaders, summoned from commands around the world to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County, Virginia, declaring that the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is warfighting and winning, and that the military would restore the "warrior ethos."
The gathering was highly unusual in scale: senior commanders from combatant commands and the services worldwide were ordered to attend in person. Hegseth spoke first, for about 45 minutes. Opening with "welcome to the War Department," he declared that "the era of the Department of Defense is over," and said: "From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: warfighting, preparing for war, and preparing to win." He described it as peace through strength, brought by the warrior ethos.
Hegseth used the speech to announce ten new directives, including: physical fitness standards for combat jobs set at the highest male standard; twice-yearly fitness tests and daily physical training across the force; tightened grooming standards, including a general ban on beards; the elimination of diversity and climate offices; and overhauls of complaint and inspector-general processes that he said had tied commanders' hands. He added that officers who did not agree with the new direction could resign.
Trump followed with an address of about an hour. He said the military was "reawakening the warrior spirit," a spirit that had won and built the nation. He repeated his support for renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, and said some crime-plagued American cities could serve as training grounds for the military. Both speakers emphasized that promotions and assignments would be based on merit.
The gathering came weeks after Trump signed the September 5 executive order restoring the Department of War name, and served as the first address of the department's new name and military-culture agenda to the assembled senior leadership of the armed forces.
(Source: U.S. Department of War)
Source: U.S. Department of War
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：2025年9月30日，战争部长 Pete Hegseth 在匡蒂科海军陆战队基地向美军高级将领发表讲话。白宫官方照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。/ Photo: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses senior U.S. military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025. Official White House photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2025-09-30Trump and Hegseth Address About 800 Top Generals at Quantico, Vowing to Restore the Warrior EthosThis story
